Ahriman, Avestan Angra Mainyu (“Destructive Spirit”), the evil destructive spirit in the dualistic doctrine of Zoroastrianism. He is the twin brother of Spenta Mainyu, the Holy Spirit. Both spirits were created by Ahura Mazdā (Ormizd or Ormazd), the Wise Lord and supreme deity of Zoroastrianism.

Ahriman’s essential nature is expressed in his principal epithet—Druj, “the Lie,” which expresses itself as greed, wrath, and envy. To aid him in attacking the light (Spenta Mainyu, the good creation of Ahura Mazdā), Ahriman created a horde of demons embodying envy and similar qualities. Despite the chaos and suffering effected in the world by his onslaught, believers expect Ahriman to be defeated in the end of time by Ahura Mazdā. Confined to their own realm, his demons will devour each other, and his own existence will be quenched.

The modern Zoroastrians of India, the Parsis, tend to diminish the importance of Ahriman by explaining him away as an allegory of humanity’s evil tendencies. Ahura Mazdā is thus restored to omnipotence.

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supreme god in ancient Iranian religion, especially Zoroastrianism, the religious system of the Iranian prophet Zarathustra (c. 6th century bce; Greek name Zoroaster). Ahura Mazdā was worshipped by the Persian king Darius I (reigned 522–486 bce) and his successors as the greatest of...